Nixon, Phelan, & McCauley headline latest Commitment Catch-Up

Thursday, May 10th, 2018

The last two weeks have brought a handful of new commitments in the class of 2018 as names continue to fly off the board and student-athletes finalize their plans for next season.

Here's a look at some of the most recent commitments:

• Choate Rosemary Hall post-graduate wing Jayden Nixon will be joining the program at the University of Virginia as a preferred walk-on. Nixon is a high level athlete who helped lead Choate to the NEPSAC A championship and scored division I offers in the process but opted to commit to one of the most succesful college basketball programs in the country in recent years instead.
• Nixon isn't the only local prep product to accept a spot as a preferred walk-on. The New Hampton School has a pair of prospects headed to Stetson in a similar capacity. Rex Walters, the son and namesake of the former Kansas star and current NBA coach, and Alex Ionesco, a skilled guard, will remain teammates at the division I level.
• Bridgton Academy post-graduate forward Connor Cullen will be headed to the division II level and the Northeast-10 Conference next year with Franklin Pierce College. The 6-foot-5 forward, who is originally from Iowa, is strong and physical with a good spot-up shooting stroke to the arc. Meanwhile, St. Thomas More is sending their latest product to Southern New Hampshire as Justyn Lacy, who missed a good portion of the season with injury, will provide a versatile southpaw wing
• The Wolverines are also sending Charlie Considine to WPI. A big bodied forward who can stretch opposing defenses, he'll join Joseph Case wing Drew Plante, a big wing with a high basketball I.Q., who also recently pledged to head coach Chris Bartley.
• Redemption Christian post-graduate Courvoisier McCauley is also headed the D2 route after accepting a full scholarship offer from Lincoln Memorial in Tennessee. McCauley came to New England from his home state of Indiana and put up big numbers this year for Redemption. He's a scoring guard with a physical style who should be able to make an immediate impact at the division II level.
• Williston Northampton has a pair of post-graduate commitments. Josh McGettigan, a skilled 6-foot-6 forward who shoots it especially well off the dribble, will head to The College of Saint Rose in Albany after the Pomperaug (CT) alum took his game to new levels this year. Point guard Michael Manley will also head to upstate New York and Union College. Manley is a highly skilled guard and big game player who is a steal at the D3 level. He's joined in Union's class by Fairfield Prep guard Brian Noone, another skilled guard with deep shooting range.
• Suffield Academy forward R.J. Mhoon is headed to the state of Tennessee after accepting an athletic and academic package to Fisk University. Mhoon has had one of the best motors in New England in recent years. He's a high level defender, rebounder, and rim-runner who can also handle and pass the ball well from the frontcourt.
• St. Sebastian's star Will Phelan, BFA St. Albans' big man Jens Ulrich-Verderber, and Groton School wing Joe Collins will all head to the NESCAC next year. Phelan, a skilled southpaw who played his way onto BABC's EYBL team last spring, has committed to Amherst while Ulrich-Verderber, a skilled big man and one of the top prospects in the state of Vermont, will join the Cardinals of Wesleyan. Collins is a six-foot-five forward capable of playing multiple positions and on his way to Bates.
• The Little East Conference also has a couple of local pledges in Holy Cross' Nyzair Rountree and Master's School's Hayes Kelchner. Rountree is a high level athlete on the wing who will play for Keene State next year. Kelchner is a hard-working big man headed to Western Connecticut who has made great strides with his game over the course of the last two years.
• Two other Master's products are also off the board. Nadir Dixon-Thompson gave Jim Calhoun his latest scholarship level talent at the University of Saint Joseph's. The 6-foot-9 big man has a wealth of tools to develop in the coming years and saw recruitment from both division I and II schools in recent years. Post-graduate Camryn Givens, is headed to Grayson next year. The Texas native is a versatile player with emerging skill the potential to play multiple positions.
• Phillips Exeter post-graduate guard Zach Stenglein is headed to Nazareth College next season. The move brings Stenglein back closer to home in upstate New York after previously winning a state championship at Irondequoit High School. A highly skilled guard, he should be able to make an immediate contribution at Nazareth.
• Salve Regina got a good one late when Cardinal Spellman and WrightWay Skills forward Mikey Spencer announced his commitment on Sunday. Spencer is a physically strong forward with a good shooting stroke who should be a prototypical stretch-four at the next level. Salve followed that up with a commitment from Elijah Ramos, the playmaking guard from the Wheeler School.
• St. Lawrence continues to mine the New England prep ranks for immediate impact talent and KUA guard Jordan Huntley is the latest example. A true point guard with a smooth floor game, Huntley will give them a battle tested floor general from day one.
• Brimmer & May big man Stone McLaren is headed to RPI next year. The burly big man is a high volume rebounder and interior scorer who has worked to stretch his game in recent years and improved by leaps and bounds in the process.
• Holderness guard Mitch Orosz is returning home to Canada following his commitment to attend the University of Waterloo in Ontario. Orosz is a two-sport star with a solid skill set and hard-working approach to the game.
• Joe DAmico is the latest member of Cheshire Academy's class to finalize his recruiting as he'll head to Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Muhlenberg is a liberal arts school with a strong academic reputation that competes in the Centennial Conference.
• MacDuffie guard Khaylen Mahdi is headed to The College of Wooster in Ohio next year. Mahdi is an undersized guard with a big heart and a wealth of intangibles and leadership tools that should make him a valuable addition for the Fighting Scots.
• Gould Academy's Brandon Hyde will be staying nearby to attend Saint Joseph's College of Maine. Hyde is a Maine native with good size and versatility who has taken his game to new levels in recent years.